Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology for providing data from an image forming apparatus to other devices.
Description of the Related Art
In recent years, image forming apparatuses in which copy, network print, facsimile, scan, and box functions are put together have been spread. Such multi-functional image forming apparatuses may be called “multi-function devices” or “multi-function peripherals (MFP)”.
The box function is a function to provide a storage area called “box” or “personal box” to each user, and to store and manage data in the own storage area by the each user.
By setting an access right to a certain box only to a specific user, other persons' unauthorized access to the data stored in the box can be prevented.
Further, in recent years, a method for exchanging image data by short-distance wireless communication between two devices has been proposed. The “short-distance wireless communication” is wireless communication with a radio wave having a short reach distance (that is about several centimeters to several meters). An example of a short-distance wireless communication method includes near field communication (NFC). The NFC has various standards. By setting the reach range of the radio wave to be short, to devices that conform to a standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or wireless universal serial bus (USB), the short-distance wireless communication may be realized.
According to the method described in JP 2014-149666 A, in the NFC method, an MFP that has received a connection request from a mobile device transmits NG (no good) if the connection by a WFD method is not allowed. The mobile device selects and transmits alternative server information to the MFP. The MFP transmits OK if determining that the MFP is connectable to the alternative server. The mobile device uploads a print job to the alternative server, and transmits a URL that indicates the print job to the MFP. The MFP that has received the URL downloads the print job based on the URL, and executes printing according to the downloaded print job.
An image forming apparatus described in JP 2013-158061 A includes a wireless communication unit that receives data from a mobile telephone, and a reader/writer that transmits an address of the wireless communication unit to the mobile telephone. The mobile telephone includes a contact/non-contact IC card that receives the address, and a wireless communication unit that transmits image data to the wireless communication unit using the address. In communication between the mobile telephone and the image forming apparatus, the address of the wireless communication unit is transmitted to the contact/non-contact IC card through the reader/writer, and the wireless communication unit transmits the data to the wireless communication unit using the address.
Further, exchange of data between the image forming apparatus and a terminal device by the short-distance wireless communication with simple operations of a user has been devised. For example, after the user specifies processing for the terminal device, the user simply brings the terminal device close to or into contact with a predetermined position of the image forming apparatus, so that communication for the processing is performed between the terminal device and the image forming apparatus.
By use of this technology, the user only performs a simple operation when downloading data stored in a box from the image forming apparatus to the terminal device.
However, when an access right to the box is not provided to the user, the user cannot download the data. In this case, a manager or an owner of the box needs to provide the access right to the user. After the user acquires the data, the manager or the owner needs to delete the access right to the user. Work by the manager or the owner is burdensome.
Alternatively, another user who has the access right acquires the data from the box, and needs to provide the data to the user through a communication line or a portable recording medium (for example, a USB memory). Work by this method is also burdensome. In the case through the portable recording medium, there is a risk of infection of a computer virus and thus is not so popular in terms of security.